Chapter 48
****
Louise looked up, puzzled, and Caius smirked.
"It bothered me that you were in so much pain last night, and now that you're still in pain, I'm not feeling the reward of putting you to bed early at night, and I think I'm the only one who's not satisfied."
Neediness.
Except for the two days he'd been away from the mansion a few days ago, the man had visited Louise every night.
It had been one of the most sleep-deprived days she'd ever been, and it hadn't occurred to her that he'd let her go to sleep early the day before.
"We'll get you relaxed as we go."
He leaned down and kissed the nape of her neck. His breath was already hot.
"Your Highness, a moment..................."
Unsure of what to do, Louise trembled on her tiptoes at the feel of his hand on the soft flesh of her inner thigh.
"Here, I couldn't get it off because you were tickling it."
Her white, voluptuous breasts rose and fell rapidly. She wondered if it was just a habit that made her gasp at his touch.
Suddenly, a nearby light went out. Louise glanced over, and the man muttered to himself.
"..................you hate the light."
Still, he must have gotten to know her well enough to care about her likes and dislikes. He cupped her thigh gently, then lowered his lips to lick her soft breasts.
"Ah, yes..................."
Her languid body had already mellowed enough to accept him. Sliding his palm slowly up her thigh, he smiled in satisfaction.
"Your lips may not be, but I think your body has already given me permission."
Heat surged from where he touched her, drenching her eyes.
His golden eyes burned with thirst, but his closing lips feigned restraint. Their overlapping lips made a newly wet sound.
And then, until their bodies were completely overlapping, they never parted again.
****
Dawn the next day.
Michael was summoned to his master's chambers, ready for the hunt, but to his surprise, Caius was not dressed for it.
"I thought you were out hunting before .................. time."
Michael said with a hint of surprise and put his rifle away in a corner.
Caius replied bluntly.
"I just went to bed early and woke up."
Was there ever a time when his master went to sleep early? It was unusual, he thought, but Michael began to report on the day's events.
"It's an old man's day in the first industrial district of Zagreb. Immediately after breakfast, you have a meeting with Baron Niklas. In the early afternoon, a visit to the Capital estate due to the refurbishment schedule.................."
He didn’t answer, as he's already discussed the schedule with him more than once before, so Caius listened until the report was finished, then asked.
"Is horseback riding... difficult to teach her?"
Michael shook his head slightly, but answered quickly.
"As for the lady, she's about what you'd expect from a normal lady. No great difficulty in teaching her."
"Her muscles are sore."
At his master's words, Michael's head tilted to the other side again.
It's normal to have sore muscles when you start a new exercise, especially considering she'd spent most of her life indoors.
If she trained so gently that she didn't even feel sore, it was unlikely she'd learn the ropes. But there was only one thing he could say in response.
"I'm sorry. I was thinking about finishing in two months, so.................., do you want me to adjust the intensity if you’re uncomfortable?"
"Why would I be uncomfortable, she’s a housebound woman, just make sure she doesn’t get hurt."
"Of course, Your Excellency, I do care about injuries."
With that, Michael bowed his head deeply. He expected to be told to leave, but his master was silent.
Eventually, Michael spat out the words first.
".................. Your Excellency, do you have anything else to say?"
Caius finally looked up at him and asked.
"Up close and personal. She’s not going to be nice to you, but you’re not going to kick her for a mistake, are you?"
"..................?"
Michael echoed dumbfoundedly, only then realizing he was joking.
"Ah................"
He scratched his head, smiling belatedly and awkwardly.
"She’s a nice lady, and I don't think it's likely, but even if I did make a mistake, I don't think she'd tell Your Excellency, because, as much as she hates me, she wouldn't want to scold the employee."
"What happened?"
"The coachman spilled a trough and made a mess in the stables, and when I approached him, he excused himself, saying that he had spilled it himself, but it was too heavy for him to move."
Caius was intrigued, so Michael added one more anecdote.
"She clearly hated me by the look in her eyes, but when I held out my palm for her to step on, she was extremely hesitant. She said, 'What's wrong with your hand?"
"I see."
Caius affirmed coolly, then asked.
"I suppose you serve her with more devotion than you think?"
"I'm only doing my best, as I would with Your Excellency. If you don't like what you see, I'll correct it."
At Michael's rigid response, Caius smirked.
"Of course not."
Then he jerked the door open.
“You can leave."
"As you know, I'm away in the morning for the lady’s riding lessons. I'll take her to Spital, and I'll see you later."
Michael bowed one last time and turned away.
Left alone, Caius thought about the woman, Louise, who couldn't even touch the palm of Michael's hand, the woman he hated so much.
She was so straightforward and foolish that she thought she was repaying her parents for their sins.
She cried in his arms at night, unable to escape, trying to fulfill the responsibilities of a legal wife.
She's pathetically high-minded, and that's what made her so interesting.
A smile tugged at the corners of Caius's mouth at the thought.
***
"If your muscles are sore, you can tell me."
Michael seemed to have heard Caius's dismissive tone. Louise glanced up at him, but it was hard to read his expression.
Even if she hated him, she never wanted to get him in trouble. Louise brushed Gloria's tail and shook her head.
"It's okay, I’m better today."
She expected her body to feel heavy after a night of being pounded by the insatiable man, but her limbs felt surprisingly light. His unspoken touch must have done some good.
"So, let's learn some skills today."
"Already?"
Michael hesitated for a moment, watching Louise's reaction, but eventually returned to his original plan.
"Learning a skill takes a long time. Don't try to learn it all at once, but think of it as practicing the same exercises over the next month."
Louise was now able to stand in the tree perch and ride Gloria on her own. Needless to say, there was no praise for her.
The nagging began immediately.
"Don't forget to sit so that your shoulders, lower back, and heels are in line."
Eventually, Louise had to practice until her thighs screamed.
By the end of the afternoon, she couldn't take it anymore and asked Pauline for a massage.
"Pauline. Press a little harder on my stomach, harder because it hurts."
"But if I leave any bruises..................."
"No, it's okay, His Highness pressed me yesterday too, no bruises."
Pauline's hand on her thigh stopped.
"Did master............... give you a massage himself yesterday?"
Her cautious question made Louise realize she had said the wrong thing.
"Only because I said something stupid. You have no idea how embarrassing and uncomfortable it was."
"Uncomfortable for a married couple...............?!"
She must have been taken aback a moment ago, but then Pauline shouted.
"My lord, how can such a stern man be so kind to his wife..............., everyone would be so surprised if they knew."
"Strange, ugh, don't go about gossiping, Pauline."
"Of course not, ma'am, what's the matter with you if you don't trust your own maid so much?"
She grumbled, but inwardly she was excited. Pauline's touch on her leg was soothing, as if she hadn't been worried about bruises.
***
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